Food Timing

One of the most often misunderstood concepts in training for an endurance event or sport is Food Timing. Knowing when, what, and how much you should eat before training or racing is just as important as knowing what your workout for the day is. Eating too much, too little or the wrong things before training or racing can sabotage your performance dramatically. Furthermore overhydrating before training or racing can also hinder your performance. This is a complex concept to understand but I have created a few rules to follow that can help guide you through this.

The first and most obvious thing you need to know is what time are you will be performing, if it is early in the morning the amount of food and the type of food you eat will be different than if the event is mid-morning or later in the day. Most triathlons start at about 7am so it is not likely that you will wake up and eat a complex meal at 4am however some people may choose to do so. It is likely that you will be scrambling for time and eating at 5:30 on your way to the race. These differences will impact what you eat.

Pre Rule #1: The Night Before

Most of us train and race in the morning so fueling up properly the night before is a good idea. If you know what glycogen is, then you know that it is fuel for muscles, that it is stored mostly in the liver and that some glycogen is stored in muscle tissue. Having an adequate meal the night before will make sure that glycogen stores are topped off. Remember you have about 1800 calories worth of glycogen stored up to help get you through training or racing.  However going to an all you can eat pasta buffet will not help your race day performance. Aim for 800-1200 calories consisting of a moderate amount of protein 10-15g, a small amount of healthy fats but mostly carbohydrates.  

As a reminder there is no need gorge yourself and “Carbo-Load” eat and drink (not beer) a normal amount the night before.

Rule #1

The longer you have before the race the more you can eat, the more complete the meal can consist of and the higher amounts of Protein and Fats relative to Carbohydrates. The ideal way is to break it down into chunks of time before an event. Like this

3-4hrs before

2 hrs before

1 hrs before

If you have 3-4 hours before the event you can afford to eat a more natural meal. The closer the time to the event comes the more simple the meal needs to become. 45min before training or racing you should only be consuming something simple like ½ a bagel and some sports drink 100-150cal/22oz of water.

Rule #2

How much should I eat? This is a relative term that you need to decide but I will give you a few loose suggestions for the given time windows.

3-4hrs before and event you can eat 500-1000 calories that should consist of lean protein, 10-20g, health fats and low fiber carbohydrates 150-300g. With a good amount of water, 24oz. There is a lot of wiggle room in this so I suggest practicing this and making some notes on what worked well and what did not.

2-3hrs before an event, this is probably the most often time to eat. You are going to want to cut way back on the protein and fat and consume mostly carbohydrates 100-150g with a low amount of fiber. Oatmeal, Bagel with a light amount of peanut butter, and make sure you stay hydrated but don’t over drink just a normal rate of drinking water.

1hr to go is game time, you are going to want to cut solid foods to a minimum, sports gels, sports drinks, gel blocks, are good choices but be cautions that you are not consuming more than 200 calories per hour and be sure to drink 12-24oz of water.

Rule #3

There is no magic rule when thinking of food timing, it is very individualized that is why there is so much wiggle room use these rules as guideline and pay attention to what has worked for you in the past and don’t change anything drastically race day morning. If you eat oatmeal every day before a big ride, then eat oatmeal before a race.

Sum it all up

Like I said in the beginning of this post Food Timing can be complicated, use these rules as a general guide and make notes of what works for you now and has worked in the past. (Share them with me here if you want)

As for race day if you are like most of us, it is pure chaos so the simpler you can make your nutrition plan the better.

Stay tuned for future updates

Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem

Your body is the only thing you own

Life is an amazing thing. Humans are truly capable of almost anything, we can run a sub 4 min mile, make a car that can drive by its self or hold our breath for 16min. There is no limit to what we can achieve no matter how modest or how extravagant you are everything you do counts and is important.

 

Treating your body well is important through good nutrition, relationships with friends and family and rest can make the difference of a lifetime. Finding time for these things is something you can make a priority for yourself and the ones around you. Find the time for these things and make a difference for the people around you. Life is short its never to late to make an impact.

Nutrition is important Water, Fruits, Veggies, Complex Carbs, Fats, and Protein

Adequate nutrition is something that is neglected in our lives day after day, whether it’s due to poor economic status or the busy hustle of day-to-day life you can still strive for better nutrition, you have to try to make a difference. If you already live this way help the others around you.

Water is important; with out it life as we know it would not exist.  Our bodies are about 70% water and we need about 1.5-2.5 liters per day and even more if you are active or live in a hot or dry environment. So keep a water bottle handy and drink up small amounts all day long. A quick way to tell if you are hydrated is by the color of your pee.  Darker is bad, Lighter is good.

Fruits and Veggies are very important as well. Not only do they taste great but also they are packed with the nutrients that are essential for our bodies to function properly. These nutrients play a vital role in the function of our metabolism and just about every other function our bodies do. A diet rich in Fruits and Veggies can and will help prevent diseases, such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Cancer. Fruits and Veggies contain Phytonutrients, Antioxidants and other chemical that can rid our bodies of harmful compounds and carcinogens that we pick up from the environment around us.  So load your plate up with Fruits and Veggies ¼ to 2/3 of every meal should be a mixture of fruits and veggies.

Complex Carbohydrates are the fuels that make us go, day after day hour after hour. We could be at work sitting at our desk or chasing our dreams at the Ironman World Championships. Stock up on things like Oatmeal, Quinoa, Cuscus, and Multigrain bread.  Most complex carbs are packed with complex B vitamins that essentially drive our metabolism. A serving size of Complex Carbs is about 2 slices of bread or a cup of oatmeal. Avoid Complex Carbohydrates brother the simple sugar like cola or candy as much as you can. But don’t be afraid to have desert once and a while.

Fats and Protein make up the other part of the equation weather you are vegetarian or a meat eater fats and protein are important. Proteins help build and repair tissues like skin and muscle.  Fats are burned for energy at low intensities and play a role in hormone balance as well as the regulation of inflammation, blood pressure and our immune system.

Finding good sources of protein is easy just make sure it is a lean protein like chicken, fish or eggs, and if you are vegetarian beans, nuts, legumes and whole grains should do the trick.  A serving size of protein should only be about 10-15 grams and about the size of a deck of cards.

Good sources of fat are found in things like Avocados, Walnuts or olive oil. What makes them good sources is the way your body will process them and it has to do with the single bond found in them also know as Omega 3 or Omega 6, look for these key phrases or the words poly unsaturated fat and you should be set.   Include a source of fat with every meal you will be happier.

Enjoy the moment

Life is full of ups and downs take them each in stride. You only have 1 moment to live so make the best of it. Be active outdoors and love the ones around you.  Its important to do something active everyday 1 hour will do. Go for a walk with the dogs, hit the weights at the gym or try riding a bike, it’s as simple as that.

Celebrate life

Life is fragile, I know this sounds cliché but it truly is. Be careful the way you live your life and treat your body well so it will be strong for the people around you who need it. So you will be there a long time for your future kids and grandkids cherish the time around you they will cherish you.

Give more than you take

Giving more than you take is something I learned for somebody I hold dearly to my heart. She taught me this not knowingly, but through actions. Actions of kindness, Actions of love. Take care of the ones around you and they will take care of you. 

I’m no philosopher, doctor or scholar by any means I just wanted to spread the word that you can make a difference regardless if you realize it or not.  You already are making a difference try to make it positive. Don’t be afraid to take a risk.  You can change….

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” -Theodore Roosevelt

So you like meat

Facebook gets me in trouble. I recently commented on a post someone made that described a meal that was basically meat wrapped in another kind of meat smothered in sauce and cheese, the caption read that “this is the reason I can not be a vegetarian”.  My comment was simply “Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer and Heart Disease are reasons why you should” Big mistake on my part because before I could blink there was a reply defending why that person can not be vegetarian.

 The argument was 1) I tried to be vegetarian I felt anemic and had no energy, gained weight and was on the toilet all the time. 2) We were meant to eat meat. 3) Not enough B12 unless you use a supplement and that can raise your risk of heart disease and other diseases. 4) I like to eat meat.  

Now I am not trying to smash someone because of an uneducated quick reply about being a vegetarian but I would like to clear up some of these misconceptions on what being a vegetarian will for you and provide some fuel to help you make the choice to become a vegetarian. So here goes.

1.       The argument that you will feel anemic….

1. There are 2 things going on here, low energy and your relation to what you know about how red blood cells are related to anemia so I will address them separate.  It is popular to believe that Anemia can be from low iron intake and this is true. So it would be wise to think that if you do not eat enough iron you can be anemic. So lets look at the top food sources for iron, Lima Beans, Soy beans, Prunes, Raisins, and Apricots to round out the top 5.
2. You are most likely feeling like you have low energy because as a vegetarian you need to eat more food because there are not as much calories in veggies as there is in Meat and Cheese. So you need to eat more often, I don’t see this as a bad thing.
3. Gaining weight is debatable and I don’t believe that being a vegetarian has made you gain weight, unless you have been only eating cheese, bread, chips and ranch dressing on everything.  This behavior is not being a veggie.
1. We are carnivores..
1. This is true we are capable of eating meat; I believe that it was very important in the evolution of humans and the survival of many tribes back before Safeways and fast food places were on every corner.  However when we evolved as meat eaters we probably were not able to hunt down meat for every meal of every day. It is likely that we got to eat meat as a delicacy when the hunt went well. Its more likely that we ate the plants that were indigenous to our surroundings for the majority of our meals. Besides “ Two 100 percent beef patties, American cheese, "special sauce", iceberg lettuce, pickles, and onions, served in a three part sesame seed bun” is hardly eating meat along with greens. J
2. B12 deficiencies…
1. This is true, vegetarians who are very strict need to find a source of Vitamin b12, and you can get it from virtually any fortified bread, cereal or multi-vitamin, that’s all you need. In fact most people, meat eaters included, also do not consume enough B12 surprisingly and not enough B12 can be bad for your heart not the other way around.
2. Is too much B12 bad?.. No The good news is It is virtually impossible to consume too much B12, since it has a very low potential for toxicity. According to the Institute of Medicine, "No adverse effects have been associated with excess vitamin B12 intake from food and supplements in healthy individuals."
3. I like to eat meat..
1. There is no doubt that eating meat satisfies a taste that is almost instinctive of our past but there are some great vegetarian foods out there that blow away the competition. Lets face it meat cooked alone with nothing to go along with it is pretty gross. Try and eat some steak with no steak sauce.

Ok I think I have put those arguments to rest so let me list a few more reasons why going veggie is the way to go.

1. Adopting a veggie diet actually does more to reduce emissions than driving a hybrid car!
2. It takes twice as much energy (or more) to produce a meal with meat vs a vegetarian meal
3. 1 pound of steak costs about $14.00 1 pound of rice $2.5 with more nutrients.
4. Exposure to livestock drugs. There are over 20,000 different drugs, including sterols, antibiotics, growth hormones and other veterinary drugs that are given to livestock animals. These drugs are consumed when animal foods are consumed. The dangers herein, in secondary consumption of antibiotics, are well documented.
5. Water Conservation. It takes 3 to 15 times as much water to produce animal protein as it does plant protein. 
6. Efficient use of grains. It takes up to 16 pounds of soybeans and grains to produce 1 lb. of beef and 3 to 6 lbs. to produce 1 lb of turkey & egg. By eating grain foods directly, I make the food supply more efficient & that contributes to the environment.
7. Ethics!

The list can go on and on but I’m sure you get the point.

Ill take your arguments now.

Not So Fast “Fast” Food

Not So Fast “Fast” Food:

Lets face it in the world we live in there is not a lot of extra time to do anything extra let alone sit down for a home made meal with friends or family. The busy hustle of work mixed with training and piecing together a social life makes for very little time to play Chef Boyardee with your Easy Bake Oven. Believe me I am as guilty as the next guy for just “grabbing” something quick. I realize that in the context of the audience reading this we are all some sort of athlete we might run the occasional 5k or 10k and some of us are multiple ironman finishers and I may be preaching to the choir but hopefully this message will be forwarded on to a person in need of some help. Someone who just does not know or care enough to make a difference in they way they eat. Doesn’t understand that better eating habits can and will change their outlook on life and appearance. Simply having better eating habits can be the solution to many problems we may be facing at home or in life. 

Something Useful:

I wanted to compare some fast food restaurants’ typical meals to the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) I chose 4 fast food establishments, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, KFC and 1 Popular Coffee chain Starbucks.  I chose meals based off of a consensus from my colleagues around me that were sensible and not off the charts, I did not want to skew the data to far to the extreme. The Meals are as follows

MD-                       Big Mac, Large Fries and 32oz coke
BK-                        Double Whopper, Large Fries  and 32oz coke

WD-                       Baja Chicken Salad, Baked Potato w/sc and 32oz coke

Taco Bell-               Beefy 5 Layer Burrito, Cinnamon Twists and 32oz coke

KFC-                     Chicken Pot Pie, Mashed Potatoes and 32oz coke

Starbucks-              Venti Carmel Macchiato

The next thing I wanted to compare was how each 1 of these meals stacks up against the RDA for Calories, Protein, Fat, Saturated Fat, Fiber and Sodium. Here are the results

	RDA		%MD	%BK	%WD	%TB	%KFC	%SB
Calories	2500	kcal	53%	68%	47%	41%	71%	13%
Protein	65	g	48%	80%	62%	31%	85%	20%
FAT	70	g	77%	113%	51%	41%	109%	19%
SATF	23	g	59%	98%	70%	43%	196%	33%
Fiber	25	g	36%	32%	76%	40%	36%	0%
Sodium	1700	mg	83%	105%	98%	20%	242%	9%

I also wanted to compare after eating each meal how much Calories, Protein, Fat, Saturated Fat, Fiber and Sodium you were able to consume (Subtracting from the RDA) after eating 1 of these meals. Here are the results.

What’s Left after 1 meal		MD	BK	WD	TB	KFC	SB
Calories	kcal	1180	790	1330	1480	720	2164
Protein	g	34	13	25	45	10	52.1
FAT	g	16	-9	34.5	41	-6	56.9
SATF	g	9.5	0.5	7	13	-22	15.5
Fiber	g	16	17	6	15	16	25
Sodium	mg	290	-80	30	1360	-2420	1539

Finally I wanted to compare how each of these meals stacks up against a balanced diet of 5 equally portioned out meals per day. (Just divide out the RDA by 5 meals). Here are the results.

5 meals/day			%MD	%BK	%WD	%TB	%KFC	%SB
Calories	500	kcal	264%	342%	234%	204%	356%	67%
Protein	13	g	238%	400%	308%	154%	423%	99%
FAT	14	g	386%	564%	254%	207%	543%	94%
SATF	4.6	g	293%	489%	348%	217%	978%	163%
Fiber	5	g	180%	160%	380%	200%	180%	0%
Sodium	340	mg	415%	524%	491%	100%	1212%	47%

Conclusion:

I think that everyone knows that eating fast food is bad for you, but how are they so popular. If everyone knows they are bad then why do they continue to operate and stay in business. The answer to this question is pretty complicated and debatable but it is likely some combination of laziness, poverty and ignorance. It’s easy to see that each of these above meals provides way too many Calories, Protein, Fat, SATF, and Sodium and not nearly enough quality Fiber. Excessive intake of Calories, Saturated Fat, and Sodium has been proven in multiple studies to have adverse health consequences.  Furthermore the quality of “Fast” Food lacks nourishment needed for any performance, almost no bio available vitamins and low in quality fiber. If you think that I am attacking the fast food industry you are correct, there is little to no initiative to provide nourishing meals for people who need it the most. If you would like to learn a little more about healthy eating click here. 

At the end of the day you are probably asking your self how can I make better choices, start by making small goals and realize the every moment in every day is an opportunity to make a change.  So its time to slow down, cook at home, and make smart choices.

Live by it

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.